A Star of Their Own
by paynesgrey
Summary: Sango wakes up from a bad dream, and Miroku comforts her under the stars. Vignette. Miroku x Sango . Canon.


AN: Written for the "Stars" theme at mirsan_fics on Livejournal.

A Star of Their Own

Sango could taste dirt on her tongue, and it felt like her lungs were filling with sand. She couldn't breathe. She moved her arms, clawing and climbing, feeling the grit and debris coat under her nails.

If she didn't get out of here, she would die. She would die without ever avenging her family. The dirt turned hot on her tongue, and she dared not swallow it. But she wanted to open her mouth and suck in some air so badly.

She felt like something weighed her down. Not just the dirt. Something inhuman, strong - a being from the other side; she couldn't tell. Were her eyes open? All she could see was the dark.

She broke free, sitting up with a deep gasp as she sputtered awake. When the clean, cool air of the evening filled her lungs, she felt the relief seep back into her bones. She'd been buried alive, yet she was fine now. She had dug herself out of her grave and lived to tell the tale. It was just another dream.

Sango groaned and rubbed her forehead. She'd take a hundred headaches over dreams like that.

"Sango? Are you alright?" A soothing male voice spoke not far from her. She recognized him immediately with no cause for alarm. She furrowed her brow.

"Yes, it was just a bad dream," she answered quietly. She stood up from her bedding and began to walk toward the forest.

"Do you need company?" Concerned, the monk stood up and moved behind her. She sighed and turned her head up to the night sky – clear and littered with stars.

Truthfully, Sango wanted to be alone. She didn't know if the monk could help her purge the residual nightmares from her blood. Maybe he could. He'd promised to marry her not too long ago, so she probably should start letting him into her heart.

She turned around and met his violet eyes. "I'm going for a walk. I just need…" She looked away in her pause, struggling to form words when she swore she could still taste grave soil in her mouth.

"Come," he said with a soothing voice. He lightly tapped her arm, and without question, she followed him down a path through the dark forest. The shadows frightened her at first, but she rubbed her arms and stayed close to her Houshi-sama.

When it seemed like they had been walking for awhile, they came into a clearing. No more than twenty feet in front of them was a precipice, but then Sango looked up.

She gasped. "Oh, it's so beautiful!" she exclaimed, and she almost forgot about the bad dreams. She looked at the stars, twinkling down at her as if they were speaking. She turned toward Miroku, who smiled at her and came closer.

"I hope you feel better," he said. Suddenly, he started to sit on the cool, damp grass. He patted the ground close to him. Sango raised an eyebrow. "Sit."

Yet, she sat next to him, and as if it was the most natural thing in the world, she leaned against his warm body and settled herself into his half-embrace. Together they gazed into the stars and fell into a somber silence.

Miroku almost made her jump when he pointed. "I think I'll claim that star." She saw him grin widely.

"For what?" she asked, almost too sharply. She didn't mean to; she only reacted this way when he often caught her off guard.

"For us," he said, pulling her even closer against him. He looked at her pointedly, and then he turned his gaze back at the star. Sango studied it, feeling tremendously flattered and smitten. Then, she inspected the star closely.

"That's a really bright star. Are you sure that's not Venus?" Sango asked.

"Venus?" Miroku looked confused.

"Kagome-chan told me. There are stars, and there are planets." Sango laughed a little. "I think you just claimed a planet for us."

He looked slightly perturbed, but his eyes were alit with amusement. "Well, then, why don't you pick one?"

Sango felt her smile widen, and she looked to the sky. Her gaze settled on a small star that was blinking at them. It was barely hanging above the purple-blue horizon.

"That one," she said just above a whisper. "It looks like it's trying to tell us something."

"Good choice," he said, mirroring the softness in her voice. Suddenly, she felt him pull her closer, and his lips were on her forehead. "Whenever you wake up from dreams like tonight, look to that star, alright Sango?"

She nodded and leaned closely, nuzzling her face into his warm robes and soaking up his scent.

"Do you wish to go back?" he asked. She shook her head adamantly, and she felt his stomach rumble with a chuckle.

In a swift motion, he pulled them both down onto the ground, and he wrapped her into his arms. She closed her eyes and hoped he was warm enough. He made no complaints, and he was actually quite still as they settled against each other.

Swiftly, slumber began to come over her, and she heard Miroku's even breathing as he fell asleep first. Her vision blurred and her eyes felt heavy. However, Sango mustered enough strength for one last look into the sky, and she could see their star blinking at her.

In an unspoken thought, the slayer bid the friendly star goodnight. With its glittering light, the star drew her into the warm open skies, and soon it chased away the weighted dark of her distant dreams.


End file.
